I ended the August blog with a line about a chill descending on us, heralding the change of season from Summer to Autumn. How wrong I was - September brought us day after day of hot weather. More in line with the heat in the month of June than the sad, wet days of July and August. The MET recorded more than 7 consecutive days of 30 degrees, which officially makes it a heatwave. This is consistant with the previous two Septembers, in 2021 it was named the 3rd warmest since 1884 and last year we experienced a 'False Autumn' in July and August brought on by the constant high temperatures, and September continued with many hot days. However, there is no doubting the range of extreme weathers that we are now experiencing and by the end of September the UK had been visited by Storm Agnes, which wreaked havoc in many parts of the country. There was some serious rainfall in Cornwall and flying debris on the coast and cove but here we got off lightly. The winds and rain blew hard and some trees lost leaves but the land looked as verdant and lush as it did in Spring.
The Swallows remained in the barn until the last day of September, that feels later than usual. The Owls have remained chatty and noisy throughout the evenings and sometimes through the night. Less birds are at the feeders but the Blue Tits and Chaffinches, Woodpeckers and Robins are still around in substantial numbers. I witnessed the savage slaughter of a Woodpecker who had just arrived for some food at the feeder, when out of nowhere a large Kestrel swooped down and crashed the Woodpecker to the ground. I went outside to see better what was going on - the Kestrel had spread its wings over its prey on the ground but quickly flew up with the screaming Woodpecker in its claws. It was over in seconds and it wasn't pleasant to witness, it made me wonder if I've ended up providing a live larder for the birds of prey by having a feeder? Not quite what I had intended when setting up the feeders but something to ponder on.
The hedges, field fauna and trees all continued to grow vigorously throughout the month. The wild Apple tree in the field hedge is heavy with cascades of fruit and has already started to drop its fruit. We are not collecting any from the hedge this year due to an abundance in our orchard trees. The smell of apple juice is already pungent as you pass by this spot in the hedge. Sloes and Haws sit side by side in full bloom, the reds and purples lining the hedges. These berries are loved by the birds, judging by the fabulous display this year, trees dense with the fruits, there's going to be a lot of happy birds this Winter. Blackberries are still dripping from their bushes, both ripe black fruits and sour red berries yet to ripen. There are more young Oaks springing up and dozens of young Elm saplings and 3 Ash trees down by the river, one has now reached the height of at least 15 foot. As I wander up the hill, away from the river, green foliage is punctuated by a gentle mauve colour provided by the late flowering of some stubby Creeping Thistle plants. Splashes of yellow are delivered by the Gorse and Dandelion flowers.
All over the field the grass and other foliage continues to grow. Montbretia, Feverfew, Ragwort, Hawkbits, Calendula all line the track and front yard, alongside the bold blue shapes from the Agapanthus which grow so freely around this area. The tomatoes, the corn and the winter Squash continue to plumpen and ripen, soaking up and enjoying the last of the hot rays from the sun. We do the same. And so indeed, do the spiders, who have been hanging around their webs on sunny mornings and waiting patiently for their breakfast. The field has been awash with these dew soaked constructions.
The month ends and Storm Agnes has given us a glimpse of what is yet to come and to warn us to be prepared. It is still warm and we are greeted by beautiful sunrises, the Swallows have finally left us, the tops of the trees are just beginning to lose their green and show the first signs of their journey to golden yellows and warm russet reds and oranges. The rooks fly over, dozens of them, marking the beginning and the closing of each day. And the ever reliable Pink Campions stand and bravely face the Westerlies, which will surely batter our field in the not too distant future.
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